Category Archives: Industry News

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The Growing Need for Aged Care Workers

An Old-Age Crisis Looms: The Growing Need for Aged Care Workers

The crisis in the aged care sector is escalating at an alarming rate. Back in 2013, Peter Cosgrove, the chairman of LASA (Leading Age Services Australia), estimated that the existing aged care workforce of 350,000 would need to treble by 2050 to satisfy increasing service demands. This is further exasperated by an ageing workforce within the industry itself; at least a third of all aged care workers are nearing retirement.

McCrindle reckons that 50% of aged care workers will reach retirement age by 2030. As a consequence, hiring rates must surely skyrocket, not just to accommodate the exponential number of over 85s in the population, but the startling rate of workers leaving the profession. From 2014-2024, this would amount to hiring about 650 new workers per month, along with replacements for over 660 retired workers each month in order to sustain our current staff to client ratio.

A recent report issued by Adj Prof John G Kelly AM, the CEO of ACSA (Aged & Community Services Australia), digests the latest projections in the National Intergenerational Report, noting that the number of people aged 70+ will reach approximately 7 million by 2055. Forecasts indicate that there would be far less workers available to support the elderly in Australia at that time than there is today, due to a continuing decline in people of working age since 1975.

Growing old is something none of us can escape, but it’s worrying to think, after a lifetime of hard labour largely committed to helping shape society into a better place for the next generation, that care and support services in this country are falling drastically short, or in some cases, neglecting the elderly entirely.

As Peter Cosgrove remarked in May 2013:

”In Australia there is no natural safety net for older Australians. When you need assistance for daily living, if you don’t have able family you’re in quite a vulnerable position. Every 71 minutes, another Australian cannot access services because those services don’t exist. The capacity isn’t there.”

It’s our social and moral responsibility to help do all we can to rectify this situation. If we don’t, who is going to care for us when we are over the hill?

Employment growth is expected to remain very strong in this sector for the foreseeable future, so it’s a very promising industry to consider for anyone pondering their career options in 2015.

What do I need to become an Aged Care Worker?

Personality
You will be doing everything you can to support and maintain the independence of the elderly insomuch as it is possible, by assisting with their daily needs either through community-based care services, residential care or independent living arrangements carried out from the client’s own home. This could involve everything from cooking, cleaning and personal hygiene, to providing emotional support, compassionate care and companionship. One of the most important hiring considerations of an employer in this sector should therefore take into account the personality of a potential employee.

Are you an empathetic, caring person who is sensitive to the needs of the elderly? Do you have a neverending supply of patience and positivity? Are you a domestic diva? Will you be able to strike up a conversation and build a rapport with your clients? If you don’t have the right temperament for the role, particularly if you’re caring for the sick and disabled, or clients with complicated needs, then perhaps you should look elsewhere.

Qualifications
Although you’re not strictly required to have a qualification to work in the industry, most employers would prefer to hire experienced applicants with qualifications, or those who intend to pick one up in the near future. The most commonly sought after entry-level qualifications in the field are a:

  1. Certificate III in Aged Care (suitable for anyone working in a supervisory capacity in residential care)
  2. Certificate III in Home and Community Care (suitable for anyone wanting to work in a home-based environment under supervision, or in other community settings)
  3. Certificate IV in Aged Care (suitable for anyone working in a residential care facility)

You’ll also be required to have an up-to-date Senior First Aid Certificate and a Police Check.

However, if you already have some good experience, but lack one of the above qualifications, you can easily obtain either of them through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). RPL is an Australian government endorsed assessment that converts your skills and experience into a nationally recognised qualification, saving time, money and teaching resources that would otherwise be wasted if you were to needlessly relearn what you already know.

Why not get a free consultation by taking a free skills review online and find out if you’re eligible for a qualification in aged care? Get Qualified Australia, the national, award-winning expert in Recognition of Prior Learning, has partnered up with over 25 reputable registered training providers to offer hundreds of accredited qualifications to Australians from all walks of life. Today could be your lucky day!

Experience
As with most professions, experience is highly valuable. In a recent survey, nearly half of aged care service providers in South Australia reported that less than 50% of employees who held a Certificate III in Aged Care had the right skills for the job at hand, which put certain training organisations around the country under renewed scrutiny. However, poor English, inadequate work experience and the wrong temperament were also cited as the top reasons why graduates were deemed unsuitable for employment.

Practical, hands-on experience will be of most benefit to employers. The more you have the better your prospects will be. By studying for a certificate, you should have direct access to an aged care facility, so take advantage of your training and make sure your training needs are addressed throughout the course.

What type of roles exist in aged care?

The following is a list of varied roles that could apply, depending on your qualification and experience-level:

  • Care assistant / worker
  • Personal care giver / worker
  • Disability support worker
  • Community care / support worker
  • Home care assistant / worker
  • Residential care worker
  • In-home respite giver
  • Day activity worker
  • Home maintenance worker
  • Personal care assistant
  • Care supervisor
  • Care team leader
If Your Head Isn't in the Cloud, It Ought to Be

If Your Head Isn’t in the Cloud, It Ought to Be

The verdict is out. There can’t be any dispute. Cloud computing has taken the world by storm and it won’t be long until it will be the new global norm. It’s already a billion dollar industry and Australia is miles ahead in the race.

From research conducted by Forrester for Infosys, which surveyed 300 technological and business giants around America, Europe and Australia, findings reveal that 86% of surveyed Australian enterprises have adopted cloud computing into their working environments for more than the past 12 months. This compares to only 50% in the US and just under 60% in Germany, France and the UK.

Positives far outweigh the negatives both in the public and private sphere. KPMG and the Australian Information Industry Association realised this back in 2012, when they discovered that even at a 50% adoption rate of cloud services over 10 years, the GDP would result in an increase of $2.16 billion per year. This is not to mention the significant reduction in operating expenses and capital spent on ICT in the long term.

As the Department of Communications observe:

“This new business model can enable organisations to adopt productivity enhancing ICT services at a lower cost and with greater ease. Research from around the world continues to link the adoption of cloud services with economic growth and more successful businesses.”

Increased productivity, economic expansion and savings aren’t the only reasons why you should have your head in the cloud more in 2015 though. The industry is crying out for cloud experts both at home and abroad. Specialist IT recruitment agency, Greythorn, rank cloud computing as the highest IT skill in demand for the second year in a row, and it will only keep moving skyward with each new year that passes.

It is estimated that 4.4 million jobs will be available globally for cloud specialists in 2015 to accommodate the rise of big data, but only a third of these will actually be filled. So if you have a knack for IT, or are already a seasoned ICT professional, spread your wings and let your career soar; the cloud computing market looks very promising indeed.

The first step is to get an IT qualification, such as a Diploma of Information Technology, combined with 2-3 years relevant experience. If you have been working in ICT for a couple of years, you may be eligible to fast-track your career by getting a nationally recognised diploma through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Take a free skills assessment online today to see if you qualify.

Afterwards, there may be a possibility to get credit for prior learning on a university degree, if you have a diploma, or you could bypass this stage altogether and get an appropriate vendor certification, such as CompTIA Cloud+ to drastically improve your employability.

The Diploma of Information Technology has been designed with exactly these sorts of globally acknowledged, vendor specific certifications in mind. It’s a great way to prepare for the CompTIA Cloud+ exam, which tests your technical proficiency in a wide range of cloud computing environments.

Other fast-track IT qualifications on offer with Recognition of Prior Learning include:

  1. A Vocational Graduate Certificate in Information Technology and Strategic Management, in which one of the elective units is to develop cloud computing strategies for a business.
  2. An Advanced Diploma of Network Security, where you can choose an elective unit to manage the security, privacy and compliance of cloud service deployment, or
  3. An Advanced Diploma of Information Technology, which provides a specialist unit in the creation of cloud computing services.
The Residential Housing Boom in 2015

The Residential Housing Boom in 2015 and Trade Skills Shortages

The residential housing boom is set to continue at a record-breaking rate in 2015. BIS Shrapnel have announced that there will be nearly 200,000 new residences due to start construction this year, which spells trouble for sourcing suitable tradies, such as bricklayers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, plasterers, tilers, glaziers and others who are in short supply.

According to the Master Builders Association of NSW, the number of new dwelling starts became the highest ever recorded in the September 2014 quarter, which was attributed to a rise in demand for apartment block units built in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.

Stockland, the country’s largest property developer for retail centres, office buildings, industrial sites, residential communities and retirement villages, predicts that the residential housing boom will continue for at least another couple more years, particularly along the east coast of Australia. This prediction comes from a sizeable 73% increase in earnings from residential developments for Stockland last year, says Chief Executive Mark Steinert.

Steinert cites low interest rates, population growth and a lack of enough suitable housing as the chief reasons why there will be such intense growth in the residential housing sector from 2015-2017.

But where are the skilled tradies in all of this? Can our current workforce supply meet the rising demand in the construction sector?

A quick search of SEEK at the end of February reveals that the top 5 job vacancies in the construction industry are for:

1) Project Managers (2,796 jobs)
2) Forepersons (1,253 jobs)
3) Estimators (1,057 jobs)
4) Commercial Contract Administrators (508 jobs), and
5) Building Supervisors (498 jobs; out of these, 293 were advertised for residential)

If you have the right skills and experience, but never managed to get a trade licence, the moment couldn’t be riper than it is now. See if you qualify for RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) by completing a free skills assessment and you could receive a qualification in your trade in a matter of weeks.

Sue Fergusson, the NCVER general manager of research, suggests that not having a post-secondary qualification is one of the main obstacles to securing employment here in Australia.

The Australian Brick & Blocklaying Training Foundation reports a massive shortage of qualified bricklayers. Less than half actually possess a bricklaying qualification and the supply of new apprentices can’t possibly meet the high demand. This is fuelling delays in the housing market and expensive bricklaying costs due to unskilled workers who aren’t able to complete the work to an adequate standard.

Although recent trends suggest an increase in the overall numbers of trade commencements, there is still major cause for concern. In the ‘Understanding the non-completion of apprentices’ publication released by the NCVER in 2014, Bednarz states that around 50% of all apprenticeship contracts for trades are not completed.

As a result, the numbers of skilled foreign migrants in the construction trade have been steadily increasing. Lovegrove Smith & Cotton (Construction & Planning Lawyers) reveal that employer sponsored 457 visa holders account for almost 1% of the Australian workforce.

137,900 new jobs are expected to arise in construction between 2015 and 2019, as stated by the Department of Employment in its projections for employment growth. This means that in order to fulfil all the essential industry criteria, including trade licensing requirements, experienced construction workers will want to get a nationally recognised qualification as soon as possible to apply for their trade licence, if they don’t yet have one.

Below is a list of accredited qualifications offered by Get Qualified Australia based on Trade Skills Shortages identified on the current National Skills Needs List and Skilled Occupations List (SOL).

National Skills List        Accredited Qualification                                                  RPL Price
Bricklayer                        Certificate III in Bricklaying/Blocklaying                            $2700
Carpenter                        Certificate III in Carpentry                                                   $2700
Joiner                               Certificate III in Joinery                                                         $2700
Glazier                             Certificate III in Glass and Glazing                                      $2900
Painter                             Certificate III in Painting and Decorating                          $2700
Electrician (General)      Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician                  $7000
Plumber                          Certificate III in Plumbing                                                     $3700
Gasfitter                          Certificate III in Plumbing                                                     $3700
Roof Plumber                 Certificate III in Roof Plumbing / Plumbing                       $3700
Solid Plasterer                Certificate III in Solid Plastering                                          $3200
Stonemason                   Certificate III in Stonemasonry                                            $2700
Wall and Floor Tiler       Certificate III in Wall and Floor Tiling                                  $2700

SOL                                 Accredited Qualification                                                    RPL Price
Project Manager           Diploma of Building and Construction (Management)     $6000
Surveyor                         Diploma of Building Surveying                                             $6000

For a full list of our trades-related qualifications available through RPL, click here.

Why Our Children Need Your Help

Why Our Children Need Your Help

There is a critical demand for qualified Early Childhood Teachers (ECTs) and child care workers across Australia, a situation that has worsened since the government introduced higher staff to child ratios in day care from January 2012 onwards. Changes in the minimum qualification requirements also came into effect in January 2014, which means that all child care workers must have, or be in the process of obtaining, at least a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care to work in the industry.

According to annual research conducted by the government to identify skill shortages in the Australian labour market, there are major shortages of ECTs and child care workers with suitable qualifications and experience.

In Sydney, 80% of vacancies for child care workers were left unfilled when surveyed in September 2013, due to a serious lack of diploma-level applicants. 75% of vacancies could not be filled in the Northern Territory and almost 40% of applicants weren’t qualified in Queensland.

ECTs in the long day care sector became in critically short supply in NSW during 2014, with half of all vacancies left unfilled and a similar rate of shortages reported in regional Queensland.

Hays Quarterly Report forecasts a continuing trend for 2015. The demand for ECTs and child care workers is expected to grow even more as additional centres open or expand in response to increased service needs and population growth.

Statistics released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics also indicate that there has been an increasing demand for formal child care arrangements, particularly long day care services, since 1999. This is attributed to a growing number of enrolled children under five years old, and an increased rate of working mothers with children in this age group.

In Western Australia, the short supply of child care services available outside of normal working hours consistently fails to meet the rising demand, which is so great that many parents, such as nurses who work late and early shifts, are reported to be hiring au pairs instead.

The Department of Employment projects that the Education and Training industry as a whole will see exponential growth by 2018, increasing by 13.3%, which is speculated to be the second largest increase out of any industry. Employment figures for ECTs are predicted to average between 10,000 and 25,000 from 2014 – 2018.

Now, more than ever before, is the time to get qualified in this profession, especially if you have some industry experience. Get a nationally recognised qualification through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) without any further study, and help end staff shortages in this sector so that Australian children can get the care and attention they deserve. From there, you may be eligible to fast-track your career as an ECT by getting a credit exemption for up to 1 year on a university degree course.

Get Qualified Australia are the country’s leading RPL and Skills Recognition specialists. Enquire online to see if you are eligible for a Certificate III or Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care through RPL, by completing a quick free skills review.